


As Long As I'm With You

by ezekiels



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-23
Updated: 2013-02-23
Packaged: 2017-12-03 08:13:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/696164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ezekiels/pseuds/ezekiels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Morgana comes to Merlin on the day of Arthur’s death. AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	As Long As I'm With You

Grey and old, Merlin stood at the edge of the lake, watching the small boat float out into the lake. He could see the red of Arthur’s cloak amongst the ferns he had placed there and he forced himself to see nothing more than that. He forced himself not to see the blood because that was not how he wished to remember him.

He opened his mouth to say the words that would set the boat alight –but he couldn’t get them out.

A hand took his. He did not need to turn to know who it was. Their hands fitted so perfectly that there was only one person that it could be.

“ _Forbaern_ ,” Morgana whispered.

The ferns inside the boat caught fire. Smoke rose into the grey sky and, for a brief moment, formed the shape of a dragon.

For a long moment, Merlin watched. It felt as if the heat of the fire was upon him, burning at his eyes until tears fell silently down his cheeks. He refused to say a word, keeping his lips firmly shut as the fire consumed the boat.

As the boat began to sink into the lake, Merlin took a deep breath and turned towards Morgana. She was dressed in nothing more than rags, like him, but she did it with a certain elegance he could never dream of possessing. As he looked at her, her grey hair darkened and her wrinkles smoothed. She was beautiful –but, then again, she always had been.

“You came,” Merlin whispered.

Morgana touched his cheek gently, wiping away his tears with her thumb. As she did, his own age also fell away from him. His long grey hair shorted and grew black. His skin smoothed and his back straightened until he was the boy he had been when he first met her.

She smiled gently at him. “Of course I came.”

“And will you leave again?” Merlin asked. He had lost so much and he knew that he could not survive her leaving again. She had always been the strong one and he needed her, now more than ever before.

She smiled, an endearing sparkle entering her eyes. “Not if I can help it.”

A soft neigh caught Merlin attention then. He looked past Morgana to see two large grey horses. They were saddled and packed. A golden-feathered bird was perched on one of the saddles, its dark familiar eyes watching them. Merlin could not help but smile at the bird, knowing exactly who it was.

“Hello, Morgause,” Merlin said, barely restraining a smile.

Morgause narrowed her eyes at him and, spreading her wings, took off flying into the trees.

“She’ll get used to you,” Morgana assured, heading towards the horses.

Merlin hurried after her, wiping at his tear stained cheeks as he went. “Where are we going?” he asked.

Morgana stopped next to one of the horses to shoot him a grin over her shoulder. “Anywhere you want to go,” she said and then pulled herself up onto the horse.

“Anywhere?” Merlin asked, stopping beside the other horse.

“Anywhere within reason,” Morgana said, giving him a smirk that told him that reason wasn’t going to factor into any of her decisions. It was a fieriness he had missed and, now more than ever before, he needed.

Merlin smiled and pulled himself up onto the horse.

For a moment then, he paused and looked back at the lake. The boat had almost completely sunken beneath the surface of the lake. Somehow, Arthur’s red cloak had survived the fire and was now gently dancing on the surface of the lake.

Feeling the tears rising, Merlin looked away.

He might never recover from the loss he had experienced these past few months. He knew the battlefield would haunt his nightmares for the rest of his life. He also knew that he couldn’t let the loss and nightmares consume him. He had eternity ahead of him and he was determined not take it lying down.

“Are you alright?” Morgana asked.

Merlin turned to her. Her dark hair danced in the gentle breeze, framing her pale face. Her eyes were gentle, void of the hatred that had once filled them. She was the woman she had always been –it had just taken her a while to find herself.

“Not yet,” Merlin said, looking away from her to take up his reigns. “Where are we headed?”

“I don’t know,” Morgana said.

Merlin glanced back towards the lake once more. The boat had disappeared beneath the lake’s surface. Arthur’s red cloak was slowly sinking.

“Neither do I,” he said, watching it sink.

He looked up from the lake to see the White Mountains, the blue sky framing its snow-capped peaks. A shimmer of gold in the sky caught Merlin’s eyes and he watched, spellbound for a moment, as Morgause descended from the sky towards them. She flew past Merlin and landed expertly on Morgana’s arm when she extended it.

Merlin watched as Morgause carefully moved up Morgana’s arm until she sat perched on Morgana’s shoulder. Morgause bent forward and gently pressed her feathered cheek to Morgana’s featherless one. “It doesn't really matter where we go,” Morgana said, smiling as she closed her eyes.

“As long as I’m with you –with you and Morgause…” Morgana began, so gently that Merlin almost didn't hear her. She opened her eyes and smiled at Merlin. “…It doesn't matter to me where I go.”

Merlin reached across the space between them and took Morgana’s hand. “I feel the same way,” he said.

Morgause snapped her beak at Merlin and took off into the air once more.

Morgana and Merlin laughed.

It was not a perfect happy ending –but it was a start.


End file.
